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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Jeffery class - ghost story

I could barely see 5 feet in front of the truck. The fog was so heavy that I had to turn the windshield wipers on. After driving for what seemed like hours the dirt road finally opened up to a clearing, I could barely see the building but I knew I was in the right place though because the sound of the fog horn was deafening. Ferghas was standing in the drive waiting for me. His yellow rain slicker and hat made me think of fish sticks and I was suddenly hungry. I parked and he came over to help me unload. His wife Nola waved as she was bringing in some firewood for later. It was growing dark and the light from the tower was the only thing lighting up the night sky. I carried my bags into what would be my new home for the next few months. I had read up on the new equipment that had been installed and I was ready to start working. Ferghas could see I was anxious so we started our tour of the property. Our first stop was what I thought was a run down shed, but actually it was the garage. He showed me where all the tools as well as the emergency generator were. Then we got to the exciting stuff, the lighthouse itself. Night was now fully upon us and we had to stop by the house to get some lanterns, because the darkness was so thick. The heavy wood door creaked as I struggled to push it open. Ferghas was saying something but I wasn’t paying attention. The loneliness of the place was already freaking me out. As I looked up the curling stairs I could’ve sworn I saw something move. We started up the metal stairs as Ferghas went on about the history of the place.My ears perked up when I thought I heard that someone had died there.I asked him to repeat the story.He told about one of the previous lighthouse watcher’s wives who had thrown herself from the cliffs outside because her husband had left her, something, which didn’t happen at that time.The watcher continued working there, but was eventually committed to an asylum because he was always babbling about seeing “her” at night.Other subsequent watchers claim to have heard someone walking up the stairs when no one was supposed to be in the tower or odd things would happen to the light and foghorn.But most thought nothing of it.We finally made it to the top of the endless stairs and my thighs were burning.As I huffed and puffed, Ferghas went on with a quick overview of the equipment.The view from the top was as astounding as it was lonely.The fog had lifted some and you could see out for miles.It was then I realized how secluded this place was as I looked to the horizon to see a few dots of light scattered across the landscape.It was then I heard it, the faint tapping coming from the stairs below.I went out to the landing to shine my light, but saw nothing.Ferghas was oblivious to the noise, as he was deaf in one ear and was always talking loudly.The tapping was getting closer and I braced myself for my first encounter with a ghost and then it stopped and so did I.I held my breath, but nothing.As I exhaled I noticed how cold the room had gotten as I could now see my breath and I felt like someone was watching us.There was a creak as the window slowly opened and Ferghas dismissed it as the wind.I would of thought nothing of it, but I could see, what looked like a light mist just hanging out on the balcony.My breathing was now short and quick and I thought for sure I would pass out.Then, as I listened to Ferghas in front of me, I felt something on my shoulder.My breath seized and I grew stiff.The next thing you know, I’m back in the cottage with Nola standing over me.She chastised Ferghas for telling me ghost stories and explained that what had been making all the noise was their kitten Jasper, who had jumped on my shoulder before I fainted.